


My Chosen's Keeper

by caterinawrites



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Crack, Gen, Lila Rossi Bashing, Lila Rossi's Lies Are Exposed, ladybug rewrite, petty kwamis, tikki said not today
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-05
Updated: 2020-09-16
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:55:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,903
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26295241
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/caterinawrites/pseuds/caterinawrites
Summary: When Tikki catches Lila in a scheme against Marinette, she decides to teach her a lesson about messing with her chosen. Lila quickly learns that the k in karma stands for kwami.
Relationships: Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug & Tikki, Plagg & Tikki (Miraculous Ladybug)
Comments: 83
Kudos: 1388





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is just a fun Ladybug rewrite AU I thought of a while back that I decided to write. For those who haven't kept up or don't follow me on tumblr, I've been on a bit of a fandom break for the past few months. After dealing with the loss of two family members earlier this year and with the general state of the world, I decided to take some time away from fandom and focus on my mental health. I'm doing better now than I was this summer, but I am still technically on a break from fandom. That being said, I do still intend to update fics here and there, but I won't be consistent with it, and it will ultimately depend on how I feel. I am hoping to finish a fic before I start posting for it again, so that will also take up time. I know there are some stories of mine that a lot of people are anticipating updates for, but please be patient. It has taken me several months to build up the motivation and desire to write for fandom again, so please be kind. :)

Chapter 1

There was a rule for kwamis bound to a Miraculous: follow the orders of your master. On most days, Tikki had no problems with this rule because her master was kind and granted her as much freedom as she wanted. It was why she’d become so fond of her. Out of all the Ladybugs to cross her path, she felt the closest bond with Marinette. She shared her joys and triumphs as well as her failures and sorrow, and when necessary circumstances arose, she fought to protect her.

Normally, she wasn’t one to meddle in the affairs of humans, but when her master’s honor was at stake, she couldn’t sit by and do nothing. Marinette had a lot of friends, but even the kindest of people are bound to have enemies—and boy did Marinette pick good ones.

Lila Rossi was evil. It was a fact Tikki and Marinette knew quite well, but she learned firsthand how dangerous Lila could be one fateful afternoon.

It was an ordinary day. The weather was tepid and clear. She’d taken a nap during Marinette’s exam in Mlle. Bustier’s class, enjoying the quiet while it lasted. No akumas interrupted their morning, and she was just getting to the good part of the book in Marinette’s backpack when her space was abruptly invaded.

She peeked her head through the fabric. Marinette was staring quizzically at her phone while an orange blur slipped up the aisle unnoticed by anyone but Tikki. Her eyes narrowed, and she leaned back as Marinette shut the locker door. A packet of papers had been shoved into the bag, and Tikki recognized Mlle. Bustier’s handwriting and…the test answers!

Why would Lila put them in Marinette’s bag? What was she up to? Was she was scheming to get Marinette in trouble? Sinking down to the floor of the bag, Tikki chewed her lip.

Should she say something and warn Marinette? She didn’t like meddling, but she couldn’t let Lila get away with whatever she was planning. What if Marinette got akumatized for it? Then there would be no Ladybug to save the day, and Hawkmoth would get her earrings. Tikki couldn’t let that happen at any cost!

Marinette had visited the teacher’s lounge once before to deliver some papers to Mlle. Bustier, so Tikki retraced those steps, toting the folded exam papers. Teachers were gathered together around a table, discussing how their students had faired on their recent exams. Sneaking past humans was risky, but the fate of the world was at stake.

Taking a deep breath, she flitted over to Mlle. Bustier’s bag, phasing through the fabric with the answer sheets. She waited a few seconds, listening, but none of the teachers had seen anything suspicious, so she relaxed. Marinette never noticed her absence as Tikki slipped into her purse in the lunchroom, and her chosen was none the wiser to what had transpired as she headed back to class.

“Good afternoon class, I’ve graded your exams from this morning, but before we get into that…Marinette, may I see your schoolbag for a moment?” Mlle. Bustier asked, and Tikki dropped to the floor to watch as Marinette moved to the front of the room. “I received an anonymous tip in my mailbox that someone had taken the test answers.”

“What? But I’d never do something like that! Why would you suspect me?” Marinette said as Mlle. Bustier rifled through her backpack.

“I know you wouldn’t, Marinette, but I have to investigate to be certain because you did receive a perfect score on my exam,” she said, and Marinette’s face lit up.

“I did? Yes!” She cheered then more soberly added, “But not because I cheated. I studied really hard for that test.”

“Yeah, Mlle. Bustier, Marinette always scores really well on your tests,” Alya added.

“And we all know it’s not like her to cheat,” Adrien said, and several other classmates voiced similar sentiments.

“Everyone, please calm down. It seems as though this anonymous tipper was mistaken. I’ve found nothing incriminating in your bag, Marinette, and I apologize for the inconvenience. I’m proud of you for studying so hard,” Mlle. Bustier said, passing her bag back with a smile.

“Thanks, Mlle. Bustier,” Marinette said, returning to her seat.

No one noticed Lila’s face harden in the back row, but Tikki hadn’t taken her eyes off her through the whole ordeal. Confusion, annoyance, anger. That wouldn’t be the last attempt Lila made to frame Marinette, and as much as Tikki hated interfering, she needed to keep Marinette safe.

A few minutes into class, Lila asked to be excused to the restroom, and Tikki followed. Her heart hammered the whole way, but she pressed on, driven by a sense of duty to her owner. As expected, Lila had another trick up her sleeve. She carefully picked the lock on Marinette’s locker then pulled a small box from her pocket and placed it inside before closing the door and returning to class.

Tikki phased through the metal and lifted the lid of the box to find the fake fox pendant Lila bought to fool Adrien on her first day of school. Why would she put it in Marinette’s locker? Tikki didn’t trust it, so for the second time that day, she broke her vow and moved the box to Lila’s locker just to be safe.

The decision wore on her conscience until Marinette was called to the principal’s office an hour later. Lila was there wearing a pout, and although Lila couldn’t see her, Tikki glared from Marinette’s purse.

“What’s going on?” Marinette asked as she took the other chair in front of Mr. Damocles’ desk.

“Well, Marinette, I received an anonymous tip that someone saw you taking something that didn’t belong to you, and now Miss Rossi has reported that a necklace was stolen from her locker during lunch,” Mr. Damocles explained.

“What? But I didn’t take anything!”

“But someone saw you, Marinette. I just don’t understand why you’d do such a thing. I’ve always tried to be your friend, but you’ve been so mean to me ever since I moved here,” Lila said with a fake sob, covering her face.

“I didn’t! Mr. Damocles, you know I’d never steal anything,” she said, and he held up a hand to silence her.

“There’s only one way to prove this. Marinette, please show me your locker,” he said, and Marinette shot Lila a glare.

“Gladly.”

The locker room was packed with students preparing for their next class, and all eyes turned to them as they entered. Lila trailed behind them as they walked, playing the perfect victim. Marinette opened her locker and gestured inside to her various books, and Mr. Damocles scratched his chin.

“See?”

“Well, I don’t see anything out of the ordinary,” he said, and Lila’s façade crumbled.

“But-” She gasped, catching herself and puckering her lips once more. “Well, if Marinette didn’t take it then who did?”

“Why don’t you open _your_ locker, Lila?” Marinette suggested, crossing her arms over her chest.

“I already checked my locker. The necklace wasn’t in there, and someone saw you take it. She must have hidden it somewhere, Mr. Damocles,” she shot back, but Mr. Damocles turned to her with a stern expression.

“Lila, why don’t we open your locker and see if maybe you just misplaced your necklace inside?” He asked, and her lips shriveled into a sour purse.

She stalked to her locker and pulled open the door, and at the sight of the small box situated neatly atop her books, her jaw dropped. “But that’s not possible!”

“Well, it looks like your necklace was in your locker after all,” Mr. Damocles said, squaring his shoulders. “Sorry for the inconvenience, Marinette. You’re free to go, and Miss Rossi, do be more careful in the future when searching for your belongings.”

“Yes, Mr. Damocles,” Lila said through gritted teeth.

“Whoa, talk about a crazy day,” Alya said, draping an arm around Marinette’s shoulders.

“Yeah, first someone accuses you of cheating, now they accuse you of stealing.” Nino shook his head. “Someone’s got it out for you, Marinette.”

“Yeah, someone,” Marinette said, shooting a pointed glare in Lila’s direction.

The bell rang, but as students filed off to class, Tikki hung back in Marinette’s locker. While it was unlikely that Lila would try anything a third time, Tikki wanted to be ready just in case. She’d been right to interfere before. If she hadn’t then who knows how bad things would have gotten?

How could anyone be so evil? Somedays, Lila gave Hawkmoth a run for his money. She even hated Ladybug as much as he did. A girl like her was dangerous, and with her around, people were bound to get hurt—people like Marinette. The thought made her eyes water.

One thing was certain: Lila Rossi needed to be stopped.

Tikki jumped at the squeal of the locker room doors, following angry footsteps to the girls’ bathroom. Phasing through the ground, she peeked into the bathroom where Lila stood in front of the mirror with a dark expression. She grumbled to herself about Marinette getting lucky this time, and without thinking, Tikki entered the faucet.

The pipes screeched, and water shot from the nozzle, drenching the girl in front of it. Lila stepped back with a shriek, scrambling to turn the knob. With a huff, she examined the front of her romper then stalked from the room with a growl.

Tikki popped out into the empty room, hands cupping her mouth. Had she really done that? What was she thinking? _Was_ she thinking? Hearing all of those nasty things about Marinette had made her so angry that she just…

She’d sunken into a pit of revenge, and she needed to dig herself out before it was too late. No one could ever know about what she’d done. She needed to get back to Marinette and-

“Well, well, well, what do we have here?”


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The putrid smell of old cheese hit her before she even turned around, and the lazy black cat that accompanied it lounged on his side. He tossed a wedge of Camembert into the air and caught it in his gaping mouth, swallowing it whole with a gulp.

“Plagg!”

“Great prank, sugar cube. Did you see the look on her face?” He snickered, clutching his swollen belly.

“It wasn’t a prank!”

“Oh? Then I suppose that sink just malfunctioned all on its own?” He raised a brow, and her cheeks warmed.

“What are you doing in here?” Tikki asked, and a mischievous glint flashed in his eyes.

“I could ask you the same thing,” he said, circling her—a cat hunting its prey. “It’s been the weirdest day for your owner. First someone accused her of cheating, but the answers weren’t in her bag. Then someone accused her of stealing, and magically, the necklace was returned to its rightful owner. Almost as if she had someone watching over her.”

Tikki averted her gaze with a sigh. “Okay, you caught me. I meddled. Are you going to lecture me about it?”

“Nah, lecturing’s not really my style,” Plagg said, leaning back and propping his arms behind his head. “I’m actually impressed you’re finally getting back at that girl, sugar cube. It’s about time you did something fun. Our owners are such pushovers when it comes to her. Don’t you think someone should teach her a lesson?”

“Plagg, no! I’ve already done enough. From now on we should stay out of it,” Tikki said with an emphatic shake of her head.

“So, you want this girl to keep tormenting your owner?” Plagg asked.

“Well, no, but-”

“Hasn’t she already been nearly akumatized because of this girl? And in this very bathroom too. What if she can’t fight off the akuma next time?”

“I know, but-”

“Just think of how awful the world will be if Hawkmoth gets his hands on those earrings. Not to mention you’ll be under his control, and the whole entire world will be-”

“Alright, alright!” Tikki snapped. “I know she’s dangerous. That’s why I interfered today, but we can’t just go around meddling in human affairs all the time. We’ve already been seen by a human once. What if it happened again?”

“Relax, sugar cube. You worry too much.” Plagg waved it away, but at her glare, he added, “Look, no one believed that cranky old bat anyway. Everyone thought she was crazy. Besides, it’s not like anyone can capture us.”

“I still don’t think it’s right, Plagg,” Tikki said, and he rolled over and floated down to place a hand on her shoulder.

“Listen, you know this girl is out to hurt both- _bleh_ and Ladybug. Stopping her could be our most important mission yet,” he said pointedly, and Tikki lowered her gaze.

“Okay, but how are we going to stop her? If we foil her plans, she just comes up with new ones. She’ll never stop until she succeeds,” she said, and Plagg tapped his chin.

“I think you had the right idea earlier. This girl won’t be able to scheme if she’s too busy worrying about the universe playing tricks on her,” Plagg said, but Tikki darted several paces back.

“No way! I already feel bad enough about the sink,” she said, but Plagg gave her a knowing look. “What?”

“Come on, sugar cube. Haven’t you ever wanted to cut loose and have some fun? It’s not like our owners give us any restrictions. We can do whatever we want,” he said, and at her conflicted expression added, “Live a little. Partners?”

He held out a small paw that Tikki eyed hesitantly before shaking. Plagg seemed surprised by her acceptance, his ears sticking up straight, and she’d even surprised herself. But he was right about Lila needing to be dealt with, and she couldn’t in good conscience encourage her master to resort to playing dirty. Besides, Lila was too good. This operation needed stealth that only a kwami could achieve.

“Alright, sugar cube, here’s what we’re gonna do.”

***

Tikki peered out from under Marinette’s lab bench the following day while students worked in pairs. Marinette was too preoccupied with her assignment to pay attention to her which was fine. Part of Tikki didn’t want her knowing what she and Plagg were up to because she didn’t want to be up to it herself.

Plagg popped up underneath Lila’s desk and motioned her over. With a quick glance around the room, she darted over to join him.

“Ready, sugar cube?”

“Stop calling me that, you know I hate it,” she hissed, but Plagg barely noticed. “Are you sure we should be doing this? She’s not even doing anything right now.”

“Yet,” Plagg said, catching her gaze with a more serious expression than she was used to from him.

“Why do you care so much about Lila anyway?” She asked, and he faced forward again, tail flicking.

“Last time she weaseled her way into my owner’s house, she went through his stuff which included _my_ cheese stash. I’ve never felt more violated in my life,” he said, and Tikki rolled her eyes. Typical. “And I don’t like how she uses him.”

Tikki smiled at that then rolled her shoulders in preparation. “Ready?”

“Three.”

“Two.”

“One!”

They surged forward, disappearing into Lila’s lab chair then popping out moments later with two bolts. Before anyone could see them, they ducked back under the bench with wicked giggles, but Lila didn’t sit in her stool right away. She wandered over to Marinette and Alya’s bench, concealing a test tube behind her back.

“Oh, Marinette, Nathaniel and I are a little lost. Can you help us?” She said, tipping the contents of the test tube into Marinette’s beaker when she wasn’t looking.

“Here, I’ll go take a look, girl. You prep this next part,” Alya offered, trading places with Marinette, and Lila walked back to her bench with a smirk.

“See? She totally deserves to be put in her place,” Plagg said, and Tikki eyed Marinette’s beaker worriedly.

“We have to do something before whatever Lila did blows up in Marinette’s face. Literally.”

“I’ve got an idea, but we need a distraction,” Plagg said as a loud crash sounded above them.

“Ow!” Lila cried out as her stool gave out under her weight.

“That’ll work,” Plagg said, zipping over to Marinette’s bench.

Together, they lifted her beaker and swapped it with Lila’s while everyone was focused on her.

“How did this happen?” Alya asked, crouching down to examine the stool.

“Looks like some of the bolts came loose,” Nino said, digging them out from under the table.

“Someone must have unscrewed them. Someone’s out to get me!” Lila said, but Mme. Mendeleiev shook her head.

“There’s no need to accuse anyone. These stools are just old. The bolts probably popped out when you stood up. You’re not hurt, so just go back to-” Mme. Mendeleiev’s voice trailed off when Lila’s beaker erupted onto the counter, and she examined it with a sigh. “You’re supposed to add the acid last. There’s not enough time for you to start over. You’re just going to have to take a zero on this assignment.”

“But-”

“No, buts! Next time read the instructions more carefully.”

Everyone dispersed after that, and Tikki and Plagg retreated under Marinette’s bench with triumphant beams. They slapped paws before returning to their owners to await their next mission.

***

Lila was quiet the next day, and Tikki thought that she’d given up on trying to get back at Marinette. It didn’t last an hour. By the end of their first class, Lila was already on the move again, but she was no match for Marinette’s silent guardians.

Tried to hide a book Marinette needed for her history report? Hope she enjoyed the several bumps on her head from a stack of falling books.

Put pudding on the lunchroom chair? Strange how her milk carton mysteriously exploded. She could have fun getting that smell out.

By gym class, Tikki was having the time of her life pranking Lila. She didn’t care if it was mean. Lila was a mean girl, so it was all justifiable in her eyes. Or so she told herself, pushing away the nagging feeling in the back of her mind. Plagg was right. It was about time she cut loose, and the more pranks they played, the more she wished she’d done this ages ago. But the most important thing to come out of all of this was Marinette.

“Look how happy she looks,” Tikki said as they watched students pelt each other with rubber balls from their refuge under a cart.

“See? What’d I tell you. Your owner hasn’t had to worry about a thing since we started messing with Lila, and she hasn’t been able to tell as many lies because she’s too busy trying to figure out how her schemes keep getting thwarted,” Plagg said, crossing his arms over his chest. “You should listen to me more often.”

“Oh, you mean like that time we went to Italy and you ran into the-”

“I didn’t see it!” Plagg huffed. “Besides, it’s famous for being crooked now, so I did them a favor.”

Tikki giggled, and Plagg’s ears flattened, his tail swishing back and forth. He tackled her to the ground, playfully jabbing the spots he knew were ticklish. The curse of knowing someone for eons was that they knew everything about you, but just like he knew all of her weaknesses, she knew all of his too. Like that scratching behind his left ear always incapacitated him.

“Okay, okay, truce! Truce!” He sighed as his limbs failed him.

The dodgeball game wore on above them, but in their moment of distraction, they’d taken their eyes off Lila. The teams were diminishing swiftly, and seeing as Lila had most of the boys in the class entranced, she’d managed to survive until the end. Kim and Nino were on her team leaving Ivan and Adrien on Marinette’s side, and as Ivan moved to catch a ball Nino had thrown, he opened a clear shot at Marinette.

It was probably a harmless situation, and hitting the opposing team with the ball was the object of the game. Interfering was petty at best, but Tikki and Plagg didn’t care. They tied her shoelaces together, and she stumbled forward, tossing the ball directly into Marinette’s hands.

Mr. D’Argencourt blew his whistle to pause the game as Lila screeched from the ground. She glared down at her twined laces as everyone rushed to her side.

“Art thou alright?” Mr. D’Argencourt asked.

“No! Someone tied my laces together,” she growled, but when she gestured to her feet, her laces were neatly tied into individual bows. “But-”

“You probably just tripped over your own two feet,” Nino said, giving her shoulder a pat.

“But I swear my shoelaces were tied together just a second ago!” She said.

“But we’ve been watching you play this whole time just fine. Besides, how could anyone tie your shoelaces while you were running around?” Alya asked, and Lila sputtered to reply.

“Man, she’s gonna give you a run for your money as the clumsiest person in class, Marinette,” Kim laughed, elbowing Marinette’s side.

“Stop,” she giggled, shoving him back as several of their classmates snickered.

“Regardless of the circumstances, Marinette caught your throw, so I hereby dub thee…out,” Mr. D’Argencourt said, gesturing Lila to the sidelines with the other eliminated players before blowing his whistle. “Resume.”

With Lila out, Marinette’s team was able to easily overtake Nino and Kim, securing their victory. To make matters better, it was Marinette’s turn to clean up the dodgeballs after class, and Adrien volunteered to stay and help.

“You didn’t have to stay behind. It’s breaktime,” Marinette said as Adrien stooped to pick up a ball.

“It’ll get done faster if we work together,” Adrien said, tossing the ball into the cart. “Besides, I wanted to talk to you.”

“Y-You wanted to talk to me?” She stammered, cheeks burning red.

“Yeah, Lila’s been acting weird lately, don’t you think?” He said, opting to push the cart while she retrieved the balls.

“Yeah, she’s been trying to get me in trouble, but her plans keep backfiring somehow,” Marinette said with a smirk. “I think it’s karma catching up to her.”

“Maybe so, but I mean, come on. Did she really expect anyone to think you would ever cheat or steal?”

“Ugh, I don’t know what happened there, but I’m glad it did.”

“Me too.”

Tikki and Plagg huddled together in the cart, masking their snickers behind tiny paws. They’d tell their owners eventually, but not today.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lots of you guessed that it was Plagg last chapter ;P I wanted some silly kwami bonding mischief because I really want Tikki and Plagg to like hangout when their owners are in class because it's cute as fuck. Only one chapter left in this little ficlet. I meant for it to be short and sweet. I'll have the last chapter a week from now. :) Hope you all enjoy!


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

After a week, Lila stopped scheming against Marinette. In fact, she’d stopped doing much of anything. Every so often she’d look over her shoulder as if expecting someone to be following her, and she flinched every time she opened her locker or her bag.

Tikki was satisfied enough with their efforts, though she worried they’d gone too far when Lila spun around on poor Nathaniel walking behind her to his seat. Her goal was to inconvenience Lila, not scare her out of her skin, and now her stomach was churning too much to enjoy her morning macaron. She popped into Adrien’s bag where Plagg was dozing in an empty Camembert carton and shook him awake.

“Plagg, do you think maybe we went too far with all of this?” She asked, but Plagg simply shrugged his shoulders and burped.

“Relax, sugar cube. That girl got what was coming to her.”

“Yeah, but she’s petrified now, and people are starting to notice,” she said with a nervous glance up at the open zipper. “I think we should stop.”

“Fine,” Plagg yawned, and Tikki prodded his side.

“I’m serious, Plagg. No more pranks.”

“Okay,” he said, and she sat back, antenna pressing low against her head.

“Good,” she said with a nod.

As the bell rang, Tikki slipped back into Marinette’s bag before her owner noticed her absence. She tried to push the whole situation from her mind, but when Alya leaned against Marinette’s neighboring locker, her nerves only worsened.

“Lila’s been acting super paranoid today. I wonder what’s bugging her,” Alya whispered, casting a glance at their classmate across the room.

“Nathaniel told me she thinks she’s being haunted,” Marinette said. Even she seemed concerned, and Tikki shrank deeper into her purse.

“I mean, a lot of crazy stuff has been happening to her, so maybe she is,” Alya said with a wince.

“I wouldn’t doubt if she’d made a spirit angry,” Marinette mumbled, and Alya leaned in closer.

“What?”

“Nothing.”

“I feel kinda bad for her. I saw her dozing off in class earlier. She must not be sleeping,” Alya said, biting her lip. “Hey, why don’t we all plan a sleepover? Maybe if a group of us supports her then she’ll feel safe enough to sleep.”

“Uhh, yeah, sure,” Marinette said, sounding anything but willing. “You plan it, and I will definitely not think of an excuse not to go.”

“I’ll ask her this afternoon. It’ll be fun.” Alya nudged her with her elbow before they headed to their next class.

To Tikki’s horror, not only did Lila accept the sleepover invitation, but somehow, she managed to convince them to host it at Marinette’s house. Lila had a way of backing people into corners, and Marinette didn’t really have a choice in the matter. Tikki was equally as unenthused. Just what she needed—another reason to get involved.

“Plagg, what am I gonna do?” Tikki asked that afternoon in art class. “I know she’s up to something!”

“Do you want me to leave stinky cheese in her locker again?”

“No!”

“Good because it’s a terrible waste of perfectly good cheese.”

“Plagg! I’m serious. What if Lila does something to my owner tonight?” Tikki said, tugging his arm. “Help me!”

“I thought you wanted to be done with all of this? No more pranks?” Plagg said, and Tikki averted her gaze, antenna lowering.

“I do, but she’s coming into her personal home. What if she finds her diary and learns that she’s Ladybug? Or what if she just so happens to steal her earrings? Or what if-”

“Don’t worry, sugar cube. I’ll help you tonight. Lila won’t get away with anything, okay?” Plagg said, patting her head.

“You mean it?”

“Have I ever lied to you?” Plagg asked, and Tikki’s eyes narrowed. “Okay, bad question. I promise I won’t let you down—this time.”

“Thanks, Plagg.”

Later that evening, Tikki chewed her lip as Marinette tidied up for her guests. She’d helped remove any lingering Adrien pictures despite her friends all knowing about her crush, but Marinette was just as wary of having Lila over as Tikki. As a result, she was taking a few extra precautions like hiding her diary and anything else Lila could use against her. It eased some of Tikki’s worry, but not all of it.

“Are you really going to have that girl over?” She asked as Marinette locked her important belongings in her chest.

“I couldn’t exactly say no. Lila is too good at manipulating everyone. If I had said no, she would have made it seem like I hate her,” Marinette said, leaning against her fist.

“But you do hate her.”

“Yeah, but I can’t prove why I hate her to everyone, so I don’t have a choice,” Marinette sighed. “We’ll just have to be extra careful tonight. I doubt Lila will try anything with all of the girls over.”

“Yeah. Hopefully.”

Thankfully Alya arrived first to help set up because Lila was the first after her. She seemed surprised and slightly annoyed to find Alya there as well, and Tikki’s blood boiled at the sight of her. She popped up to the roof, tapping her paws together as she peered out over the street. The night was calm and quiet—a direct contrast to the storm brewing inside her. Where was Plagg?

“Ya know, you really worry too much.”

She spun around to see him lounging on the chair with a cheese danish from the bakery. Relief flooded her mind, but it was quickly replaced by annoyance. “Where have you been?”

“Relax, sugar cube. I was doing some important reconnaissance,” he said around a mouthful.

“You mean helping yourself to whatever your greedy stomach wanted?” She crossed her arms over her chest. “You are so selfish!”

“Oh, then I suppose you already know that Lila has a lockpick in her bag?”

“She- you- oh…Well, then we should-”

“Already did. And her toothbrush just for fun,” he snickered, and Tikki lowered onto the chair beside him. “I’m a little insulted that you don’t believe in me.”

“Dinosaurs, Atlantis, the Black Plague…”

Plagg bit off a chunk of his pastry and chewed it grumpily. “We never talk about your mistakes.”

“Thank you, Plagg,” Tikki said, and he blinked, swallowing the rest of the danish whole. “For everything.”

“Yeah, yeah, don’t get all sappy on me.” He turned his back to her and waved it away, but she could see the smile tugging on his lips. “Now come on. We’ve got work to do.”

The girls were gathered in Marinette’s room when Tikki and Plagg snuck in and took position on Marinette’s bed. Marinette had strategically positioned herself on top of her locked chest, and partnered with Plagg’s disposal of Lila’s lock pick, it eased some of Tikki’s nerves. At least her secrets would be safe, but that didn’t mean Lila didn’t have other tricks up her sleeve.

After a while, they moved downstairs to watch a movie, and Mr. Dupain brought up homemade pizza. Plagg groaned beside her as the girls pulled apart stretchy strips of cheese, and Tikki restrained him from flying down and helping himself.

Halfway through the movie, Lila got up to go to the bathroom, and Tikki followed. Just as she feared, the moment the door closed, Lila set to work silently opening cabinets. Tikki had half a mind to spray her with the sink nozzle again, but after a few minutes of searching, Lila found what she was looking for—a metal nail file. She pulled a bobby pin from her hair and tucked them both into her pocket.

Back out in the main room, she announced that she was going to go upstairs and call her mom who was traveling overseas on some important ambassador thing, and she only had a short window in the evening to talk to her because of timezones or something. It didn’t matter the reason because it was a lie. Marinette’s glare followed her up the stairs with Tikki right behind it.

“Plagg?” She hissed, glancing around for that lazy black cat, but she didn’t have to guess where he was. “I told you not to touch the pizza!”

Plagg clung to the piece he was greedily stuffing in his mouth as Tikki tugged on his tail. “Oh come on! Mr. Dupain makes his own mozzarella. I couldn’t resist!”

“Lila is on the move! She took a nail file from the bathroom, and now she’s upstairs! Come on!”

Plagg caressed his slice of pizza one last time before Tikki dragged him up the stairs. Lila was already kneeling beside the chest, nail file and bobby pin at work.

“Come on, stupid chest. I know Marinette is behind all of the weird stuff happening to me lately,” she grumbled. “I just need something to blackmail her with to make it all stop. Just open!”

“Plagg, what are we gonna do?” Tikki whispered, and Plagg was already surveying the rest of the room.

“Follow my lead,” he said, darting for the nearest mannequin.

Lila nearly had the lock open when a stack of shoeboxes toppled over, and she jumped. Seeing that it was only boxes, she took a deep breath and turned back to her work.

“What?” She gasped when her makeshift lock picks were no where to be found.

“ _Lila_ …”

She startled, jumping up and spinning around, but no one was in the room. No one she could see anyway.

“ _Liiiila_ …”

“Very funny, Marinette. I know it’s you. It’s been you the whole time. I don’t know how, but you won’t beat me,” she said, but the way her eyes flicked frantically around the room betrayed her true fear.

“ _Leave her alone_ …”

The mannequin by the chaise, surged forward, and Lila’s scream filled the house. She scrambled for the trapdoor, but it wouldn’t budge no matter how hard she tugged. The girls rushed up the stairs, Marinette at the front. She pushed the trapdoor open easily to find Lila curled into a ball on the floor, tears streaming down her face.

“What are you doing?” Marinette demanded, and Alya crawled up to wrap an arm around Lila’s shoulders.

“The mannequin!” Lila wailed.

“What about it?” Marinette asked.

“It-It talked and moved and-and-” She pointed across the room, but the mannequin had returned to its original place. Even the shoeboxes had righted themselves. “But…”

“Maybe we should all just go to bed,” Alya suggested, and Lila grabbed her shoulders.

“But it did move! I swear I’m not making it up,” she said, gripping her shirt so tightly that Alya swatted her hands away with a hiss.

“I think you’re just tired-”

“Or crazy,” Marinette mumbled, masking it with a cough.

“Sleep deprivation can make you see weird things,” Alya said. “Come on. Let’s get you some sleep.”

As the girls moved downstairs again, Marinette eyed her chest, but her secrets were safe. Tikki still stayed up all night to make sure Lila didn’t try anything again, but their ghost stunt seemed to have scared her off the idea.

When morning light streamed in from the windows, Tikki sat back with a yawn. Curling in next to Plagg snoring loudly on Marinette’s chaise, she slipped off into sleep with the reassurance that Marinette was safe.

***

The Monday after the sleepover, Lila entered the school on a quest for vengeance. Dark bags hung under blood-shot eyes, and her whole demeanor was slightly unhinged as everyone hung out in the courtyard on break. Tikki knew she was going to target Marinette again, so she lingered close by—waiting.

Marinette was sketching on a bench by herself while a maintenance man repainted the railing to her left. When he reached a stopping point, he scooted the ladder next to the bench and took his break, but Marinette never looked up from her drawing.

“Hey, I heard about the sleepover. What happened?” Adrien materialized at Marinette’s side, startling her out of her skin. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay.” Marinette relaxed. “I don’t know. I knew she was up to no good, and while we were all watching a movie, she went up to my room to ‘call her mom’ then she just started screaming and freaking out,” Marinette said, shooting her a glare across the courtyard. “I don’t really know what happened, but she swears my mannequin talked to her.”

“Do you think she’s doing it all for attention?” Adrien asked, but Marinette pursed her lips.

“I don’t think so this time. She seemed really freaked out when we found her. I think she’s actually losing her mind,” Marinette said.

“You don’t think she’s really being haunted, do you?” Adrien’s green eyes clouded with worry.

“I don’t know,” Marinette said with a shrug. “Maybe she is making it all up for attention, or maybe all of her lying is finally catching up to her.”

“Let’s hope this convinces her to start telling the truth whatever it is,” he said. “I’m just glad she didn’t do anything to you. I was worried when I heard she was coming to your house for a sleepover.”

Marinette’s cheeks flushed at that, and she took her eyes off Lila. Adrien was the perfect distraction, but Tikki wasn’t so easily deterred because Lila was watching them too. Their friendly smiles and close proximity drove her over the edge. When she dashed toward them, Tikki braced herself, but Lila wasn’t aiming for the bench.

Tikki glanced up at the paint can resting precariously on the top of the ladder beside them, recognizing the intent in Lila’s eyes.

“Oh no you don’t,” she said, flitting up to the bucket.

Lila rocked the ladder, but against the laws of natural physics, the can twirled around and dumped on top of her. The courtyard fell silent as the can clattered to the ground, and Lila wiped green paint from her face.

“That’s it!” She screeched, pointing a finger at Marinette. “This is all your fault!”

“Lila, Marinette didn’t do anything. I was talking to her the whole time,” Adrien said, holding up cautioning hands.

“No! Everything is her fault!” Lila stomped a foot. “I don’t know how you keep doing it, but I know it’s you!”

“Lila, what are you-” Alya started, but Lila lunging at Marinette cut her off. Nino and Ivan caught her, and Adrien took a defensive stance in front of Marinette.

“How did you do it, Marinette?” She growled. “I put those test answers in your schoolbag, but they weren’t there when Mlle. Bustier checked! I planted my necklace in your locker during lunch, but somehow you put it back! _How did you do it?_ ”

Marinette and Adrien cupped hands over their mouths as the weight of those words settled among their classmates. Confusion and anger snaked its way onto every face, and more classmates joined Adrien guarding Marinette.

“Wait, you tried to frame Marinette? But why?” Nathaniel asked, and Lila shot him a glare.

“Because I hate her! She’s always getting in my way and ruining my plans. I’d have you all eating out of the palm of my hand if it wasn’t for her!” She said, shoulders heaving. She ripped away from Nino and Ivan and kicked the paint bucket with a shriek.

“Whoa, so all those times Marinette said you were lying…” Nino said, lowering his gaze.

“She was right,” Adrien spoke up, and all eyes turned to him. “Lila is a liar. Nothing she’s ever said is true. She just wanted to use all of you for attention.”

“So, you’ve never met Jagged Stone?” Rose deflated.

“And let me guess. You’re not really bffs with Ladybug,” Alya said, crossing her arms over her chest.

“Of course I’m not friends with that stupid insect! I hope Hawkmoth takes her Miraculous and rids the world of her stupid face!” Lila shouted.

“What’s going on here?” Mr. Damocles demanded as he and Mlle. Bustier approached.

“Karma,” Marinette said with a grunt.

Lila glanced between each face glaring back at her, the rage-induced fog clearing enough for her to see the damage she’d inflicted. Her eyes widened, and her shoulders shrank. For the first time since she’d stepped foot in their school, Lila was exposed. Powerless. Small.

“My office. _Now_.” Mr. Damocles barked through gritted teeth, and Lila followed behind him quietly. She had nothing left to say. No more lies to tell.

“M, are you okay?” Alya pulled her best friend in for a tight hug. “I’m so sorry I never believed you.”

“Yeah, we should have known better. You never trip out over anyone unless there’s a reason,” Nino said, ruffling her hair.

“We’re sorry, Marinette.”

“Yeah, we shouldn’t have doubted you.”

“It’s fine,” Marinette said, cutting everyone off. “Really. I’m not mad at you. Lila manipulated all of you. It’s not your fault she can’t tell the truth.”

“Marinette…” Alya cooed, and all of their classmates huddled around her.

When the bell rang, they all dispersed, heading to their next class, but Marinette excused herself to the bathroom. Tikki slipped back into her purse, relieved that it was finally over and that she hadn’t been caught. Or rather, she _thought_ she hadn’t been caught until Marinette ripped open her purse and dumped her out into her waiting hand.

“I thought kwamis weren’t supposed to meddle,” she said, quirking a brow, and Tikki shrank guiltily.

“I’m sorry, Marinette! I just knew she was up to no good, and I couldn’t let her frame you,” she said, pressing her paws together.

“Putting the test answers back and moving the necklace are like you, but exploding milk cartons and mannequin ghosts?” Marinette cocked a hip. “Plagg, I know you helped too.”

A sinister chortle echoed above them as Plagg floated down beside Tikki. “I couldn’t let sugar cube have all the fun.”

“We’re really sorry,” Tikki said, lowering her head.

She braced for her punishment, but instead, Marinette lifted the two of them to her lips and planted a soft kiss on each of their heads. “Thanks, you two.”

“You mean you’re not mad?”

“Nah, Lila deserved it,” she said with a shrug.

“I’ll accept my reward in the form of one of those tasty cheese danishes your dad makes,” Plagg said, puffing his chest out, and Marinette scratched under his chin with a giggle.

“You can have all the cheese danishes you want,” she said. “It’s nice to know you two have my back.”

“Of course,” Plagg said, draping an arm over Tikki’s shoulders. “If someone wants to mess with the Bug, they’re gonna have to go through us.”

“We’ll always make sure you’re safe,” Tikki added, and Marinette held out a pink with a smile.

“Bien Joué!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The end!   
> I've been off work this week because of Hurricane Sally, so I finished the chapter up early and decided to post it since I'll be on vacation next week. I hope you all enjoyed this little ficlet! It was always meant to be short and sweet. 
> 
> Moving forward, I am still technically on a fandom break, so it will likely be a while before you all see something from me again. Ideally I want to finish out a fic before I start posting for it again, so it might be a while before I accomplish that. I have several WIPs with only a few chapters left in them, so I'm gonna try to finish out some of those, but I'm not pushing myself to work on them as hard since I am on a break. I hope you all understand and will patiently wait for the next updates of your favorite stories. I promise I'll be back soon enough. Thanks for reading!


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